CARBOPLATIN PLUS ORAL ETOPOSIDE IN ELDERL Y PATIENTS WITH NONSMALL-CELL LUNG-CANCER - A STUDY OF THE GROUPE-FRANCAIS-DE-PNEUMOCANCEROLOGIE (GFPC)

Between February 1992 and May 1993, 22 patients older than 75 years, w ith non small cell lung cancer, were treated with carboplatin and oral etoposide. There were 18 men and four women with a median age of 79 y ears. Fourteen patients had an epidermoid carcinoma: four had an adeno carcinoma and four had an undifferentiated carcinoma. Carboplatin was administered intravenously on day I at a dose of 300 mg/m(2); oral eto poside was administered at a dose of 600 mg/m(2) (two capsules daily)f or 9, 10, 11, or 12 days according to body surface. Courses were repea ted every 28 days for a total of three courses. Toxicity: 15 patients (68%) had received previous chemotherapy. Myelosuppression was the mai n problem with one grade IV and five grade III hematologic toxicities. We observed one mild neurologic toxicity. Results: 19 patients were e valuable for response. We observed one complete response (5%), five di sease stabilizations (26%) and 13 disease progressions. Median surviva l was 5 months. These results led to discontinue this study.